Detroit Red Wings prospect Givani Smith made headlines earlier in the week for making an inappropriate gesture toward the opposition's bench during an OHL playoff game, which resulted in a two-game suspension.

Smith, Detroit's second pick in 2016 (46th overall) and a forward for the Kitchener Rangers, flipped off the Sault Ste. Marie bench following a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6. The OHL suspended him, forcing him to miss Game 7, which the Soo won 4-3 in double-overtime.

"There were threats, physical threats after Game 6," Rangers general manager Mike McKenzie told the paper.

"Before we went up to the Soo there were racial things in his inbox on social media. It was pretty disgusting to see some of the stuff that he had to deal with."

Smith, who is black, couldn't be reached for comment by the Region Record.

Smith will begin his pro career next season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

The situation got so bad that the Rangers needed a police escort from the Soo airport to their hotel and from the hotel to the arena for Game 7, the Region Record reported. Smith watched the game from the press box with a security guard posted at the door.

Smith has had to deal with racial incidents before. After a late-season game in Sarnia, a fan tried to enter the Kitchener dressing room to get at Smith.

"It was a game where (Smith) had been sent to the room early because he had a misconduct," McKenzie told the newspaper. "The fan poked his head in and yelled a racial slur down the hall."

McKenzie referred to the abuse as "heartbreaking."

"He shouldn't have to endure it," McKenzie said. "He did a good job of turning the other way. I think the unfortunate part -- and it pains me to say this -- is that he's probably used to it by now. He's probably heard things before, which is brutal."